


Metamorphosis

by Rainbowraptor



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bees, Character Death, Gore, Grief/Mourning, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, No beta reader I am so sorry, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22458301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbowraptor/pseuds/Rainbowraptor
Summary: It's the usual love story. Alien invader totally messes up and kills long his time best bud/enemy/first love and paranormal investigator, alien invader tries to bring back paranormal investigator back to life.Things go a bit...buggy.
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Metamorphosis

**Author's Note:**

> Have you played Hollow Knight? If not, go play Hollow Knight then come back but if so, you know the Deepnest level? Yeah, that's where like 90 percent of this fic came from. The rest is thanks to all the great vampire bee Dib art work out there. Specifically, CJS's over at https://cjs-scribbles.tumblr.com/. Hollow Knight and their work drove me to this so thank and/or curse them.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing.

Zim's antennae caught sounds, a spooch twisting, popping, nasty collection of vibrations. He first thought of popcorn popping, rocks falling but then quickly identified the source, he was an Invader, how could he _not_ know. That sound was bones snapping and joints cracking. Zim twisted around just as a dry rattling turned into a raspy gasp and then…a hoarse, papery howl.

But no, the Dib was...

Zim whirled, PAK lasers ready and aimed for whatever had dared sneak into his base. Because it definitely couldn't be Dib. It had to be one of his escaped test subjects or inventions or _anything else_ other than what was before him right now. 

Dib's back arched, legs pushing him up, his stomach reaching towards the ceiling, head, feet, and elbows all pushed hard against the exam table, Zim could see every tendon in the human man stretched and pulled. The human's hands rigid, taught, clawing at nothing. He let out another unsettling scraping exhalation then a horrendous scream.

Zim couldn't speak. This was impossible. Was this some sort of trick? Yes, that had to be it. Part of some grand attack beginning with Dib assaulting Zim with those weird beans. Dib had just dumped them all over Zim as he'd been on his way out of Professor' Claws' Biology class. The cursed, insolent, hairy Dib had basically _asked_ to be skewered. He'd _meant_ for Zim to accidentally slice out his meaty stomach and intestines. 

Dib had _meant_ to die.

Clearly, it had been a part of some kind of foolish, stupid, fucking _dumbass_ plan because Dib was inside his base and now _not_ dead.

But why do all this? Weren't they trucing or... _something_ now? Hadn't they just celebrated their third year of not trying to _seriously_ capture, maim, and/or annihilate each other? 

"They aren't going to listen to you. Your species is too dumb." Zim had said.

"They don't give a shit about you. Your leaders had to be teleported here." Dib had said.

The beginning.

Lies?

"Computer, restrain him!" Zim shouted and within milliseconds, mechanical arms whipped out, snapped around Dib's body, and forced Dib back on the table.

Abruptly, Dib stopped the screeching 

"GIR?" Zim managed croak out. The computer was helpful but Zim needed some backup. "GIR?!" Zim shouted louder, frustration snaking through. Where was that stupid robot? "Computer, where is GIR?!"

"He's watching TV." It answered with a groan.

"Why is that useless assembly of bolts watching TV while I'm carrying on important work?!"

"Because...uh...you told him too…" The computer said.

"Why would I tell him to watch-" Zim shook his head to dislodge the train of thought. "Whatever! Just tell him to get down here!!!" Zim hissed. So far Dib seemed to be contained but Zim wanted extra hands for whatever this new challenge was. Dib was still silent, eyes closed, no longer moving. Of course, even in death Dib was a spink in his spamosh. 

But was he dead?

Well, the Dib _had_ been dead. DEAD. Zim had carried the putrid Earthman all the way back to his base himself. He'd even pushed back Dib's disgusting organs back in because his long time nemi-friend was **NOT** going to perish in such a stupid manner. Sure, Zim wouldn't mind being the cause of Dib's downfall on some level at some point in the future, but never like this.

Actually, Zim wanted Dib, that is, he wanted Dib to witness Zim's takeover before he died. Not of Earth of course, Zim had long realized the sheer _uselessness_ of the planet and GIR _did_ enjoy it so. The Earth would simply kept as a sort of a nature preserve. A sort of...GIR'S playroom as Dib had said. 

No, he wanted Dib to stick around for a bit longer, at least to be there when he restored the Irken Empire and took over the _whole universe_. 

The whole armada was still burning eternally in a puppet hell alternate world thanks to the amazing Florpus Zim had created ten years ago and Zim had grown used to Dib's assistance now that the human wasn't so..so vile to Zim. At some point, Zim entertained the idea of keeping Dib as a pet or even...no, that was too far but maybe...oh and his sister unit was great with GIR. 

Zim felt a shudder of fear from his PAK radiate throughout his veins. Again, the idea of Gaz finding out about Dib...or worse, Professor Membrane. 

They didn't need to know. Zim was amazing and could repair Dib. He'd scanned Dib with every scanner he had at his disposal and easily made a copy of Dib's consciousness. The mind handled, Zim turned his skills to examine and mend the flesh sack.

Over the years, information downloads, and several experiments, Zim considered himself an expert on the weakness and oh, oh so few strengths of found in the dominant species of Earth. Stitching Dib would be simple and easy but, even with Zim's superior skills, nothing short of a detailed eye and a steady claw would serve.

Dib **_wouldn't_ ** come back wrong. Dib would be just as he was before the weird, ill thought out plot of using brightly colored beans to stop Zim. Anything else wouldn't do. 

Zim had cut away that useless clothing, even going so far as sniffing it for clues to help bring Dib back to the land of the living. He'd lined his resting nest with the remains to continue his work in the rare minutes he needed recharging. Zim had carefully checked all of Dib's precious organs and body parts and then, finally, fitted him in a hospital gown. Zim knew humans always wore one when they were very, very sick. 

He kept Dib's glasses in his PAK.

Then, when Zim was mentally prepared and informed, the restoration process could truly begin.

The tears that had fallen from Zim's eyes during these long days hadn't been from any sadness, only his allergies from Dib-dander, nothing else and nothing more. His silent sobs and cries of distress not from mourning but from frustration of having to do this at all.

And now, **_now_ ** Zim had to deal with Dib being a...a...zombie.

Zim hissed in anger. He'd been prepared to decide whether or not to give Dib a new flesh body or a robotic one (he'd decided on both. No worries getting soggy and grey haired and no worries about losing that irritating humanness. It was perfect.) He _wasn't_ prepared to be-

Alerts sounded. Loud, and terrible. Dib's eyes flashed open, yellow and bright. With speed that was almost too quick for Zim's occular implants, Dib tore through all the metal that held him. The man mangled away the arms with talons and fangs that he'd didn't have before. Shards of alloy rained like pennies on the floor and Dib launched himself at Zim.

Not wanting to repeat Monday morning, Zim resisted his instincts, hesitated, not daring using his PAK legs, not even for a second. He dove out of the way instead. Zim leapt over cords and thick ropes of cables and skittered to a crouched stop behind a computer console. 

"Hellliooooo Mary!" Screeched a happy voice and Zim nearly lost it. He activated a screen in his armband and watched in horror as his stupid SIR unit toddled towards Dib. "Awwww, you fixed him?" GIR was saying. 'Want to watch Piggy and Puppy. It's new and my favorite! It's so good! I got all the jelly jam in my skullI so we can share!"

Zim hissed. "No GIR! Get away from it...eh, him, Mary, Mary isn't feeling well!" Zim's armband screen showed Dib stooped over GIR, head down, face hidden from Zim's view. They were quite a few feet away from Zim's position. Dib hadn't moved after that intial charge. At all. 

Zim stared at the holo screen, unable to get himself to move. Dib stood in the pale green gown, the fabric seemingly glowing in the lights overhead. The man looked up, yellow eyes glaring at GIR and looking as though he'd attack at any second yet Zim couldn't move. He couldn't even speak, every cell was held in stasis. His PAK didn't seem to be helping.

A laugh came, at first it was a rattling and dusty thing. Full of pops and screeches, but soon, thankfully soon, Zim found to his relief that it was familiar.

Dib. Dib was laughing. Vile Dib. Dib-worm. Dib-stink. Alive and laughing. His Dib.

Zim peered over the control panel, still shaking but suddenly too overjoyed to hold back anymore. He leapt over the computer, PAK legs deployed, allowing Zim to tower over the much taller Dib. "Why the fuck are you laughing? There's nothing funny about this Dib-puke! EXPLAIN YOURSELF NOW!" But he was mostly also angry, very angry.

But the Dib didn't seem to be listening. He continued to laugh. Zim frowned, unease creeping up again. There Dib was, or at least, what appeared to be Dib. Closer, Zim could see Dib was a little too skeleton-like and somewhat ashen with, yes, deep yellow eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. 

Dib held one hand to his forehead, the laughing slowing as be spoke. "Shit, shit, shit. What's going on?" Dib looked around, at the lab, and blinked a couple of times. Finally, _finally_ , he seemed to see Zim. "Zim? What did you do? Did we..?" Dib's face turned red in that annoying and alarming way human's faces seem to do but Dib wasn't doing the blush as he used to. The shade was incorrect. 

Zims unease grew.

Dib blinked again. "Wait, why can't I remember anything? Where'd the hell did you put my clothes. Fuck, I can't, I, I can't breathe. I'm laughing too hard but no, no wait." He stopped his manic chuckle and flailing for a single second and then "wait, am I dead? Shit, you killed me!" He was looking up at Zim with crazed eyes. "You killed me?!"

Eyes that unsettled Zim. 

Dib wasn't done. "I'm dead. Oh hell, dad is gonna freak." He laughed, he _laughed_ , and even harder, " _I'm_ one of the undead! Oh man, Gaz is gonna fucking love this!"

GIR started laughing with Dib.

"Answer me, why did you do this?!" Zim snarled down.

Dib looked up at Zim, confusion and some annoyance clear in his pale brown face. "Me? I didn't do shit. _You_ killed _me._ " He pointed at Zim as he said 'you'.

Despite feeling like he needed to flee or fight, Zim slowly lowered himself to the ground, not quite fully retracting his PAK legs. Just in case, Zim left one ready. Not only was Zim an expert in humans, he was a expert genius in Dib. This hadn't been some plan on Dib's part, Zim could see now. "Dib, you attacked me a couple of days ago. I defended-"

"Attacked you?" Dib looked confused. "I didn't attack you Zim, like, well, not really. I was trying to tell you that I-" He stopped, finally turning his gaze to his body. Dib pulled the gown forward with one hand so he could stare down, no doubt looking at the ragged scar across his belly button and wrapped around one hip. "Hey, this one's new."

"Master killed you!" GIR shrieked. "But he got real sad so he made you better!!!" GIR said, waving his arms frantically. "Piggy and Puppy!!! Jam! jam is getting warm in my head. So hot!!! Share?"

"You finally did it Space-Man? The spider got the moth!" Dibs eyes flashed. Rage. Familiar at least. "Why did you kill me?!? We had a treaty and everything!!! I was just trying to give you-."

Zim felt anger prick all the way up his spine. "It was an _accident_ ! I value agreements!! It's not my fault you're still so fragile! And you _did_ attack me! You jumped out of that hallway with all that candy and the hard beans, what else would you be doing?"

Dib looked hurt. "You forgot the cards. I made those by hand by the way."

Zim shrugged. "Oh, I liked that part, though, the glitter got every-no, wait, nice try. Continue the explanation!"

Dib groaned. "I was trying to ask you to..you know... Valentine's...like in the old days? I figured it was better than chucking meat at you. I didn't want it to fuse to your skin. Like the hamburger…"

"Speak with sense! I can't understand your words." Zim growled.

Dib rolled his eyes, grabbing his hair, and letting out a weird angry buzz but he stopped his nonsense. "You know what, nevermind. Forget it. It's not important now." He paused "Wait. How am I alive?" Dib asked.

"Jelly jam!!!" Shouted GIR.

"Zim has no idea." Zim had no desire to discuss his endless work on bringing back Dib from the jaws of death with the Dib, Zim's plans, Zim's pain, Zim's suffering. But, how did _this_ change happen? It had to be sudden and recent. Zim would have to check his computer's logs. Surely the answer would be there. 

In the meantime. 

"No, stop trying to change the subject. Explain. Why did you attack Zim? I don't understand."

"I don't know." Dib huffed. "I don't even really remember now. Just tell me everything that happened and why I'm wearing...this? Where are my clothes and why..."

Before Zim could respond with a brilliant retort, Dib suddenly winced. "Man, my head... I'm like, feeling a bit dizzzzzzzzyyyy." The last word Dib said with that odd buzz. Zim thought he was about to witness a "swoon" (humans really are fragile things) but instead of falling to the floor and passing out, Dib's body went taught again. 

"What... what's that smell?" He asked after a deep inhale.

Zim frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Dib sniffed, then sniffed. He actually stuck out his _tounge_ , before pulling it back in. The man walked around for a bit, searching for something until he stopped suddenly. 

In front of GIR.

"GIR?" Dib asked, eyes glowing. "You have something sweet in that head of yours, don't you?"

GIR looked like Dib had just asked him to sit down at his Tea party, right next a muddy pig and the furriest of squrriels. "I do, I dooo. It's grape jam!!!! Want some?"

Dib licked his lips. "Uh, yeah, yeah that would be great."

To Zim's horror, Gir reached into his open head compartment and took out a handful of oozing grape, foul, jelly and held it towards Dib.

"Dib is merely joking, he doesn't want any of your disgusting head slime-" Zim's words died as Dib grabbed GIR and actually dunked his whole face in GIR'S head and began to devour the jam within.

GIR was laughing crazily, waving his little arms and legs, clearly having fun despite the igdinity of the situation. 

Zim almost puked. Zim had failed, failed! This Dib may sound _like_ his Dib, might mostly look _like_ his Dib, but this sickening, somehow even _more_ disgusting change of eating habits was too much. No, it wasn't right. Zim had-

Suddenly, a ripping sound made Zim look back to watch as Dib used GIR'S head as a food bowl. Wings, by Irk, _wings_ tore through the back of Dib's gown. Long, opaque, and fresh, they were threaded with dark black lines. They flapped or rather...vibrated, blurred, lifting Dib inches from the floor, all the while a humming tone continued on.

Dib gasped and dropped GIR, his face streaked with sticky sugary gel, shock on his face. Zim saw that the new flying gear wasn't the only new appedandge. Before Zim's eyes, two dark antennae uncurled from Dib's hair to stand straight out, alert.

"Uh, whoa...wait," Dib moved his shoulders back then forward, shifting his back and shoulder blades. "Do I...do I have wings?" Dib asked and be whirled around, trying to see his back. "Fuck, gimme a mirror, I need to see." He was talking too quickly, buzzes interspersed in his words throughout. "Hey, hey, hey GIR, you got some honey? I need like five jars, that would be great!" 

GIR gave a salute and ran off, shrieking.

Zim knew that sound Dib-thing was making, he recognized those wings, knew the unsettling presence, that hunger for honey. Watching Dib, flitting around, hovering about, a horrible truth slowly began to enter Zim's mind.

Dib had come back _wrong_ yes but it wasn't because Zim had failed.

No…

It was all because of Zim's most dangerous, skilled, and powerful enemy on Earth. Maybe the only thing in the universe that actually threatened Zim. An evil so terrible, so vile, so not good, it was a constant threat to Zim's mission. Such a killer creature had proved so terrible and monstrous throughout the years, Zim didn't know why he didn't think of them sooner.

Of course, the true cause of all this senseless mourning, this work, this struggle, this panic, this waste of resources, this agony was not, for once, not Dib but instead, all thanks to...the bees.


End file.
